US Patent 9235582 Tracking files excluded from backup

Techniques to exclude files from backup are disclosed. In various embodiments, a database that includes an exclude set table configured to store data associated with one or more files identified to be excluded from backup is accessed. Data retrieved from the database is used to exclude one or more of said one or more files from a backup. In some embodiments, files are excluded from the backup at least in part by deleting the files from a shadow copy volume created in connection with said backup.